Trail Vs Cross Country | Battle Of The Mountain Bike

[@ish474]

what you're supposed to do is buy a trail bike and turn into an Enduro bike and then you have to buy a hardtail and turn it into a trail bike and then you buy a gravel bike and you put a suspension Fork on it and turn it into a cross-country bike and then you stare at your credit card statement and cry

[@jerseylife8701]

My buddy has LITERALLY done this. Worst part is I can still beat him on jumps and stuff on my “shit” entry mtb bike because I came from the bmx world

[@lisasoar8448]

😂😂

[@michaelsalameh4031]

Fax tho

[@HajrhJsjcjus-oe5ek]

It's always da Bois from the BMx world, that never sat on a MTB and are just ripping

[@raffylleno7170]

😁

[@snoopy10411]

I think it depends what sort of riding people are realistically doing and what each person enjoys. I like the versatility of a trail bike but being honest with myself, I'm now north of 40 with responsibilities, limited skills and little time or desire to practice often. Too much gnarr or speed on the downhill terrifies me a bit so I'd probably prefer a good climb instead followed by some steady swoopy smooth-ish downhills with no surprise features. The kid in me wants to buy an Enduro bike and enter red bull rampage or something insane but the adult in me is definitely XC. Trail bike is a good compromise.

[@sampeck9235]

Brilliantly put.

[@danielr.branco5813]

That´s it! Well said...

[@danielr.branco5813]

That´s why I got an XC bike wife a little bit more suspension travel and slightly more agressive geometry, so I can descend a little better and, maybe, have some fun on bike parks. Something like what´s been called a downcountry bike. A jake of all trades, or jack of no trades, but I don´t care, the bike is a lot of fun...

[@proverbalizer]

The experienced skier in me makes me want to get a bike capable of gnarly downhill lines...but then I realize I'm over 40, have next to no experience on a mountain bike, and crashing on skis and tumbling down snow is nothing like crashing on a bike and tumbling down rocks

[@theakh4238]

@@danielr.branco5813 I run a hardtail with slightly slacker geometry and 120mm fork as a single speed. Keeps me real honest, and keeps the costs down. Its more than enough to get me in trouble.

[@MHDHRacing]

I find myself riding my 100mm XC Race Bike almost all the time instead of riding my 140/160mm Trail Bike. Riding the XC for me is much more fun and if you can handle a Bike properly you can easily ride some laps in Bikeparks, look at those XC Pros, the tracks they ride are almost Enduro Trails…

[@deanemberley2333]

Give your head a shake dude

[@seancorrigan3531]

Manuel Hauser you're talking nonsense mate

[@deanemberley2333]

Have you ever watched the XC race in Mount Sainte Anne? XC racers couldn’t handle the course they were crashing everywhere.

[@vetzaaak]

​@@deanemberley2333 So that's one particual race on unusually technical terrain...where those pro's still decided to go with their xc bike, dsipite damn well knowing the risk of crashing. Seems to prove the dudes point, no?

[@Arkainebe]

@@deanemberley2333 they can all easily ride it, but not all can do it when their heart rate is redlining for over an hour.

[@msagoo29]

I remember when Nino Schurter did the same demo, running a Scott Genius on a XCO race course, albeit with skinny race tyres. He said it was fun, even a little slower for racing due to the weight but said for most recreational riders - it would actually be better in some ways, and more forgiving

[@CobraKyle]

Excited to see these Bentonville videos coming out! Was an excellent time meeting you Rich and everyone else from the team!

[@gmbn]

Stay tuned! Thanks for coming to see us! 👊

[@charlesstafford1564]

I think a slightly shorter travel trail bike is the best of both worlds. One thing to keep in mind if you can only have one bike is that it's easier to learn new skills on a bike with less travel. To take full advantage of a long travel bike requires a lot of experience. For most of us, it would just cover up our riding flaws, and possibly slow our progression.

[@adamwilson6423]

Great video Rich. For me if I had to choose one bike, it would be the trail bike. I’d run two wheelsets, a XC “focus” with lighter rims & fast rolling tyres for days out exploring & riding longer distances. I’d have a trail “focus” with robust rims & more aggressive tyres. For days when I’m hitting rock gardens & chunkier terrain.

[@em1355]

This is the direction that I am going because it is too expensive to have two different bikes.

[@simisanoo5382]

Too fucking right, well said. I'd buy a super light carbon XC (9.8kg hardtail or something) with 100mm travel and simply change the tires and handlebars to suit the day. Honestly, skill, fun and versatility right there. Trail bikers don't seem to consider what the gravel and road enthusiasts know... the XC bike enjoys all worlds, all terrain.

[@umarrk3082]

You should also test entry-level hardtail mountain bikes like Trek Roscoe and Marlin.

[@sandrine1025]

My friend loves his Roscoe and he rides it on some rough terrain. He grew up riding bikes and rides motorcycles so he scans well and picks good lines. I ride a HT too. It's what I have so I make it work. I have fun. It's rough at times but I grew up riding with no suspension so I'll take a front shock and let my body also help absorb the bumps.

[@brendonnoble5227]

How about a xc / trail bike comparison that doesn't hugely favour the trail bike? Like for instance a 45km loop with 1500m climbing, then tell us which one is more fun...

[@proverbalizer]

If a 45 km loop is your idea of fun you already know what type of bike to get

[@bitumen83]

For recreational user TRAIL bike all the way. Much more capable bikes which can be converted to XC maraton bike with some XC tires. Also Trail bikes have stronger frames which can be benefit on long time usage.

[@rampim99]

Agree

[@Seppster58]

Just took my brand new Orbea XC MTB out for it's first ride and loved it. XC is the way I ride these days. Retired an old Giant hardtail to the turbo and the Orbea is a dream to ride. Love the comparison Rich. Great video as always.

[@Mardegente2024]

I have a Epic Evo, a so called "downcountry" bike but more on the XC side of things and love it. Fast on the uphill but more capable than your traditional XC bike. On my local trails and most of the trails I prefer, actually, that's my bike. If you only want/can have just one, of course.

[@Stankbait68]

Thanks for hosting the group right in Bentonville, it was awesome to see the GMBN crew ripping some of my favorite hometown trials!

[@gmbn]

No problem Brad! We loved meeting each and every one of you! Thanks for the support!

[@laszlobacs9347]

Great comparison video Rick. You really pushed these two bikes to their limits to show their pros and cons and reflect their ability to perform in extreme situations. I love my xc bikes. I have a hardtail and a fs. Both Devinci xc. I ride both depending on the trail conditions. Hardtail for a fast training and fs for a more technical trail. In the end I think it comes down to personal preference but in my opinion a xc bike is more versatile and will perform better in most of the situations unless the goal is extreme situations but them again...there are other categories that will always be able to do more extreme. The best bike is always the one you ride. Cheers from Canada.

[@themarauder6108]

My bike was designed for downhill but it's never been used for that purpose. As long as you enjoy riding it, who cares what type of frame it is.

[@junka1975]

I love your comparison Rich. Fantastic riding, those trails looked so cool.

[@gmbn]

Thanks for the support! Glad you loved the content. Bentonville is such a great place!

[@deancapewell8927]

Definitely XC, my Trek Porcaliber 9.6 does the job for me.

[@juliagriffiths]

Thanks for this comparison. I struggled over this choice as N+1 needed to = 2 for me with a road bike in the stable already. So, i picked a trail bike (HT though) for the reasons u mentioned. Loving it so far on easy trails and my local pump track as i dip my toe into mtb waters. Thx again for the video. Keep em coming.

[@owensnicholas]

I ride a ‘downcountry’ bike with less rear travel than your XC bike. Coming from a full-suspension from the 90s, it felt like an utter monster bike. On my home trails with less descending and less tech, it’s a missile. But riding more places with tougher trails, I’m thinking of getting a trail bike as well.

[@Jacob99174]

Very very good video. I love me the aggressive XC! Epic EVO

[@gmbn]

Thanks for the support Tim!

[@senglebe]

Down country for me, because my local trails are relatively flat. I rode my pivot trail 429 v2 on most of the Bentonville trails (happened to be there when you guys were) and there really weren’t many trails where I was wishing for me travel. With that being said if I lived somewhere like North Carolina or the PNW with real mountains I’d want something more trail bike style with additional travel, probably something at least 130mm or longer rear travel. Most people are over-biked that I see. Lugging around extra suspension that they really don’t need or use.

[@sedman5179]

It’s great explaining the difference between the bikes, but what would be most helpful to a beginner would be to differentiate the terrains and their unique characteristics…..what makes a cross country route different from a trail and so on….

[@boyscout_86]

@@sedman5179 this is what I was hoping for.

[@edward1591]

I've just switched from a 5 year old 27.5 Commencal Meta Trail to a 29 Vitus FS Rapide 100mm. For me - it's no contest, the Vitus wins hands down because it's so much lighter and livelier and responds to the pedal stroke immediately. But then that's because I ride mostly country bridleways (and, ahem, footpaths) with very little challenging downhill.

[@maven_collective]

Super fun seeing y'all in the NWA backyard 😉 Come back often!

[@paulbateman]

I love the way this channel uses some proper 80's style hard rock/metal tunes in the background \m/

[@juansanchez-tr1dq]

I still think the sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle. 130 travel in the back and 140 up front is a nice compromise and there are more than a few options around that travel range.

[@tomaszmichewicz7867]

My Ibis Ripmo 140/120mm don't know what category it belongs then ?

[@juansanchez-tr1dq]

@@tomaszmichewicz7867 no need to dwell on categories, just ride it and enjoy it, that's what I do!

[@tomaszmichewicz7867]

@@juansanchez-tr1dq word 👌

[@tr4nnel752]

I ride something like that, but if you want to be speedy on flowy trails, xc or down country bikes are just faster.

[@BikeParkLane]

@@tr4nnel752 just change out the tyres and then wheels if want to go one step further

[@HypocriticalElitist]

It was helpful to see how these actually ride, after watching a few videos about the theory of how XC and trail differ. Thanks!

[@jettruth]

Awesome to see you all riding in my area. Speaking of blurring the lines, the bike I ride here would fall between these two, but is a trail bike at 130/140.

[@neelsahay5227]

An XC bike with a spare pair of trail tires is the best, provided youre a skilled enough rider to get the performance out of it.

[@artemisxo6734]

i gotta say i love xc bikes. i love how easy it is to put down power and climb hills. i grew up mountain biking on a 90s xc bike and a rigid bike my grandfather built from parts, so the lack of that degree of suspension makes me way more comfortable

[@titoperez1327]

I have an XC trail enduro pivot. With two different wheel set. One with 2.25 ardent and the other with 2.5 dissector in the back and DHF minions in front.

[@TheKrezi]

Great video. I doubt this Orbea is 13 kg to be frank. I would say more like 15 kg at least especially with a coil shock!

[@GHinWI]

Hard to believe the Orbea could be 29 lb with a coil shock and 36.

[@ostankovalex1176]

M20 rallon weighs 15.2Kg with a DPX2+36 perf, I know a person owning one using SLX drive train and e1900 wheelset so... maybe that's real it also had DHF/DHR tires

[@em1355]

Santa Cruz Tallboy is listed as an XC and Trail bike but will change my tires to maybe 2.25 to accommodate my transition to more XC biking and riding on dirt/road trails with minimal technical riding. In my opinion, this will meet my bike riding style without me having to spend too much money on a totally different bike.

[@simisanoo5382]

Word! Once MTB purists discover the road and gravel/tour world they might wish they had an XC bike to do it all.

[@mtnbikehead]

@@em1355 I just picked up a Santa Cruz Blur Trail. Weird it’s more capable than my old trail bike despite being more xc but is still slower on most of the xc trails around me. The Blur is 5.5 lbs lighter than my old trail bike that was sporting nice light wheels and tires. Maybe do the same for the Blur. I almost bought the Tallboy, but still too much bike for most of my trails.

[@shawnsk867]

Handcut hallow is awesome.

[@tallicarule1991]

Loving the tunes at the start of this video

[@njasicko]

I was running one bike to handle all things(Scott genius frame). Had to rma the frame and while waiting to get it back I bought a carbon enduro frame and swapped some parts around. Now have two bikes to play around with. 140/140 24lb xc/trail and a 170/160 28lb enduro bike.

[@BikeLifewithRob]

Aaaaahhhh, hanging and doing shows in Bentonville!

[@gmbn]

Yeah! It's such a beautiful place!

[@mrjamieholloway]

For most of us who ride normal forest trails close to home, a modern aggressive XC bike is the ultimate bike. You cannot complete with a light weight fast rolling bike that weights 10-11kg, or less. If you are riding bike parks, and downhill tracks then a trail and enduro bike makes sense.

[@glaabaglooba]

Good on you having the tunes cranked when youre not talking. Thats proper volume!

[@GHinWI]

The question this video poses is why the market has mostly settled on the ~120mm 29er…best of both worlds for 80% of riders.

[@Azoth5876]

@equilibrium my experience is kind of the opposite. Most newbies i see are over biked rather than under biked. Most tend to get their second bike more focused on their chosen discipline, but its often specific to their local trails (for instance, live in a more enduro style area). As for injuries. I cant say ive ever seen someone drop mtb due to injury. Between me and my mates ive seen most of the typical breaks (including one who did their neck) and all of us have hopped straight back on the bike as soon as the doctors would let us.

[@yengsabio5315]

Why not BOTH? My hardtail is XC-oriented. It's the only one I have. But I do bring & use it on trails & off-roads. Hoping & praying that I'll have my Marin SQ3 soon for my trail mountainbiking. Lots'a love, cheers, & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines! #KeepBiking

[@davidburns2633]

Rich, great video! I'm hoping my 2021 Scot Spark 960 is a good mix of both... it is supposed to be 'trail' but has 130mm front and 120mm rear. It is, apparently, entry level but with Magic Mary front and Hans Dampf trail tyre rear it's pretty capable. I suppose it's what you feel comfortable on.

[@thecakeisalie7070]

Love my 150mm/130mm 27.5. With geo adjust and air shock, it can be configured for XC, Trail, Dirt Jumps, Pump Tracks, Jibs, Trailside Trials, etc.

[@gordonbloe6959]

And what bike is it?

[@Rustyfox46]

Hey Rich, the only bike I ever need is my trusty trail stead. She's a beauty when riding up, down or flat, 👊🏻

[@yorkshiremtber7884]

So in essence the xc bike is good for uphill the trail bike is good for downhills, who’d of thought it 😂😂

[@nicolaspade1341]

Love my XC bike (Orbea Alma hard tail), only ridding a trail bike once and I did enjoy the comfort of full sus. Would like to upgrade my hard tail to a full sus and I can’t decide if I should go with a XC with more travel or go full trail…

[@decyprs]

The Scott Spark with the rear suspension inside looks great

[@n0llan]

Check out a brand called Allebike, they have become really popular in Sweden and I recently bought one. Best bike for the money that I’ve owned

[@nicolaspade1341]

@@decyprs Yeah, the Spark looks amazing!

[@nicolaspade1341]

@@n0llan thanks, had not heard of them. Will have a look at those

[@dowstough]

Great to you in bentonville!!!

[@DanuelNuel]

I like POV videos - we need more of them!

[@gmbn]

We're sure we'll have plenty more coming your way! We post some POV footage on our Facebook and Instagram! It's well worth checking out!

[@norcotorrentguy]

Trail boy with a cheap xc bike. Looking forward to a new trail hardtail. Keep up the good work rich!

[@matsmellberg9127]

Nice video, i like it. I just change from Orbea Oiz to the Occam for the resen you mention and i dont regret it for a minut. Om more in to this type of ride.

[@gmbn]

Those are both really nice bikes. Trail bikes are a little more fun for the downhill descents! 🤫

[@jtrider3779]

I climb because I have to, not because I want to. So although ascending is a necessity for me, I like my bike to be more fun when pointed downhill and getting airborne. That being said… Trail bike.

[@Aeleas]

I tend towards being a trail bike kind of girl, but my main ride these days falls in that downcountry in-between with 27.5"+ tires and 130mm of travel front & rear. In the future I'll probably go all 29ers though. I think my next bike will be a hardtail, and the one after that will be a beefier enduro bike. Both probably a size down because I was right on the line between Large & Medium when I bought this one, and I'm pretty sure I've lost a bit of height since then.

[@stanley3647]

XC but hardtail, if full sus - go for trail one ;) XC is lighter, faster, great for longer offroad/gravel journeys, second for bike park/singletrack. For me: XC :D

[@DJ.V-W]

Hardtail XC for me all the way, I think it depends on what trails and terrain you ride on a regular basis. I live near the Klever Reichswald, most of the trails and tracks are well maintained and not so rough, so XC is enough

[@mateuszdomagala2281]

Good music choice 🤘

[@mtbville]

Good stuff guys!

[@jimbo4203]

A few times a year I'll ride my Scott scale to town 12 mi away and ride the town trails . I wouldn't want to do all that road on my trail bike , but the Scott really flys

[@Jacobhandelgolf]

I just got a orbea and I love it

[@gmbn]

Nice! Hope you enjoy it and safe riding!

[@mattes3183]

Iam glad that I also be able to own both kinda bike and wouldn’t put one above the other. But actually I find myself riding my budget xc hardtail more. Because I also use it as a daily commuter. So even though I love riding my bit more pricey trailbike, I don’t see myself without my old trusty budget xc.

[@seanziesenis4430]

Definitely post when yall come back to bentonville id like to come see yall rip some trails.

[@englishmtbinfrance3572]

Said it before and I will keep saying it. A good trail bike is the ultimate MTB

[@galph8035]

Throw some good tires on the XC and that’s all you need. I run the 2.35 ground control T7s and can rally any rock garden I want on my sworks epic evo. I race the same set up in the pro men XC races in my area and fair just fine. Most people will have more fun on a 110/120.

[@francoisjoly7696]

Mini-enduro / DH-trail bike... I don't know. I ride a Transition Smuggler for several months and I love it. 120mm rear, 150mm front, short stem, large bar, Magic Mary F / DHR2 R, custom wheels... it's amazing how capable this bike is. Would probably put an angleset kit to get a slacker HT + a chunkier 160mm fork + a coil spring... I don't know. This machine rips :)

[@jameseaves71]

The Lux Trail will be my next purchase

[@davepetersen1726]

Comparing a 951 XC to a Polygon T8, is my dilemma. I live in the Lake Tahoe , Carson Valleys and want to downhill trail, alot of roots and rocks, there's also alot of desert trails. Just trying to figure out the best bike for the area.

[@MTNMAX88]

What would I need to increase the travel on my 2022 Rockshox recon rl from 100mm to 120mm? You guys are the best!

[@TheAllEngineering]

A modern slack long travel hardtail, very capable on the downhill and pedals efficiently on the uphill.

[@philipshore6924]

I have a carbon hardtail XC and i live where its flat. Its been great especially for natural rides like actual cross country and loamy forest. But trail centres are so great now its hard not to go there and its where the trail bike shines.

[@rezzapahlevic]

ooh i love the trail bike, so badaasss

[@skinny8019]

my favorite bike is a short travel trail bike...aka down country....it is what i prefer...im riding a revel ranger with 120/115 fox sus....works well for almost everything...if i have to ride anything harsher...i take my other bike the giant trance X....if i had to choose and keep only one...i stay with the ranger...the vast majority of riders are not riding as hard as you was....great riding btw.

[@bud1lite]

Put more aggressive tires on the xc and be good to go with better climbing?

[@BikeParkLane]

Tend to wreck xc frames after a couple of seasons so it has to be trail bikes, will just swap out the tyres if it's on tame terrain

[@bleed_from_within_is_life9960]

Idk what that song is when you was going up the hill but them palm muted chugs gonna get me hard Idec about the bike anymore gimme the metal🤘🤘

[@harold.o]

Epic Evo guy, for my terrein, downcountry is plenty.

[@stujm8376]

I use both, depends what I'm planning for the day:

[@gmbn]

Good to have options! 👍

[@tommyestrada6464]

Trail bike for me.

[@markjackson6791]

I am a XC guy. But however I have taken my XC Santa Cruz Superlight on trail rides. I did have to work a bit more going downhill, and yes it did feel scetchy at times. Would I trade it ?? Absolutely not. I did have a trail bike, but missed the ability and lively feeling of a XC squish bike. So I have a XC Santa Cruz Superlight. Love it !!

[@jimw2542]

Love the super light but the head angle is too steep for techy downhill. I think the newer geo in the blur tr is the better all arounder.

[@joxidearmageddonator882]

Rich is the best! He is so cool!

[@nikbadz9383]

I like both bikes😊

[@Pienimusta]

Unless you are racing uphill - Enduro bike

[@gmbn]

Enduro bikes can be the best of both worlds if a trail bike doesn't cut it! 👍

[@GI-AUS]

So just put better/wider tyres on the xc bike?

[@jfrosty42]

135/140 Trail bike as a one bike quiver for me!

[@IIISentorIII]

I ride a Stumpjumper with 140mm x 130mm in the Swiss Alps. For me this is the best sweat-spot so far. My last Scott Genius Bike was a 150mm x150mm. But with carbon and flex stays and the new geo those bikes are insanely capable.

[@tOm.w.]

i ride only hardtail(100mm) on trail or xc. also I like technical speed routes❤

[@alainpfammatter8224]

Downcountry bike is the way to go 😉👍

[@LonnieValek-x8w]

Bartoletti Shoals

[@leonwilson-brown7177]

Rich, what sus lockout are you using on your canyon? I have this bike and hate the Rockshox twist grip. Many thanks buddy and keep up the vids 😃👍

[@richardpayne5176]

It’s a rockshox one I just swapped out there gripshift one for the thumb shifter version and flipped it over so it was underneath

[@leonwilson-brown7177]

@@richardpayne5176 many thanks for this buddy. Think I will do the same 😃

[@nvire5202]

None, get a down country🤣 I ride a down country bike and I love it

[@bikemike1118]

And you push it uphill first …to later can use the bike for its actual purpose?

[@gunn1ng]

XC on those trails takes so much more skill. Lively on the DH and you have to pick rather than plow a line.

[@ajufpv1984]

both

[@thecarguy264]

I would say trail, love goin downhill and big jumps not so much for all the climbing ;)

[@gmbn]

It ain't for most of us! 😂

[@thecarguy264]

@@gmbn true😂

[@junka1975]

Never really been on anything like a trail bike. My bikes are a BMX, dirt jumper, hard tail xc and a dual suspension xc. But I have upgraded the tyres on my dual suspension xc to a more aggressive tyre as I was getting lots of punctures on the old tyres but due to my shear size and the old geometry from 2013, even though the bike is fast on gentle trails and will blast along those, it bottoms out the front end, tyre against frame on bigger impacts, the more modern hard tail with slacker head angle has eliminated that problem but I feel for anyone over 100 plus kg, in my case 126kg, you would be better with a specific jump bike for doing jumps but if limited to one bike due to budget constraints, get a trail or enduro bike. My next bike I will definitely be looking at an aggressive front suspension trail hard tail. Possibly a Trek Roscoe 9. I need to save my money. I will say though that if you aren't into jumps and like to ride gentle trails and gravel, you can easily use a xc bike and be extremely comfortable. They're fast and on long rides, super capable.

[@tomaszmichewicz7867]

Hi, so where sits my Ibis Ripley V4 140/120mm ? :)

[@PorshiHatun-w5g]

McClure Green

[@Dellvmnyam]

What about hardtails? ^^ BTW your suspension Canyon is lighter than my hardtail XC bike ^^

[@JoshuaPlays99]

8:09 Goodbye waterbottle lol

[@gmbn]

Haha! Great spot! 😂

[@asylumDAYS]

Trail 🤘🏻

[@chrismade123]

Did the rock music help climb with xc

[@admiralstiffplank]

XC bikes! Speed speed speed